The Quest for a Simple, Quiet Life...
"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life." 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Monday, February 23, 2015

Waves of Romance ~ An Ebook Review

This is ebook two of the Holiday Beach Read series, written by Lori Ann Mitchell and is the continuation of the seaside surf love story of Sage and Derek. What happens when surfer boy Derek is confronted with a young beach beauty? Will he turn his back on his romance with the older Sage?

You can read more about ebook one - Waves of Love - here. Since ebook two, Waves of Romance, is a continuation, you should probably read ebook one first so you have a little background and know more of what is going on.

Let me just say that this is NOT g-rated reading material. And, that's all I'm going to say about that!

This ebook is a very quick read. I read it in about 2 hours over the course of 2 days. Not much depth here really - just a lot of ... well, not g-rated material!

If you read the description of the ebook on Amazon, the story is nothing new - older woman/younger man romance going good - new, younger beauty comes into the picture and sparks fly between her and the guy.

After conflict there is resolution, of course, which I think ended up very neat and tidy and very quickly. I might have enjoyed this more if there had been more depth to the story. I felt let down by the character of Sage as I had perceived her to be stronger than how she eventually ended up (don't want to give too much of the ending away).

My opinion - if you can read it for free, I would take it to the beach and read it in an afternoon. Otherwise, I'd probably skip it.

**I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. All opinions herein are my own. I was not compensated in any way.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Leaffusion ~ Product Review!

I love a good cup of tea on a cold, snowy day. Well, actually, I love a good cup of tea anytime! Do you?

Recently, I was invited to review the Leaffusion Tea Infuser and I'm so happy I accepted! This is a great infuser, is easy to use, has plenty of extra small holes for infusion and is super easy to clean.

The Leaffusion Tea Infuser is made of food grade silicone and stainless steel. It is also BPA free and is heat resistant. It leaves no funny "plasticky" aftertaste behind either. You will need to wash it thoroughly before you use it for the first time - who doesn't do this?

Here is the infuser sitting in its little drip tray - this was before I made my cup of Earl Grey - how cute is that? I love the drip tray! How many times have you used your infuser and then had to run over the sink to lay the infuser down so you didn't have tea drippings everywhere? No? Well, maybe that's just me?

The infuser holds about 1 tablespoon of loose tea. I find it easiest to use a spoon and put the tea in the infuser - at least for tea with larger leaves and pieces. With the Earl Grey I made, the leaves were small enough I could scoop the tea directly into the infuser and snap on the silicone leaf top, which makes a nice handle to bring the infuser back to it's drip tray.

I really enjoyed the Leaffusion Tea Infuser and foresee that I will be using it quite often.

A perfect cup of tea!

**I was provided the Leaffusion Tea Infuser in exchange for my honest review. All opinions herein are my own.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Waves of Love (ebook) by Lori Ann Mitchell ~ A Review

In the mood for a quick beach read in the middle of winter? Then this is definitely the ebook for you!

Waves of Love is the story of Sage and Derek, two wounded souls making their way in a little beach town. Sage is the owner of the local bookstore and bakery. Derek is a writer/surfer drumming up business for his latest book.

So, you can see where that is going, no? The wrench in the machine...Derek is 10 years younger than Sage. Do they overcome this? You'll have to read the ebook to find out!

I enjoyed the characterization of Sage and Derek. They were both believable characters, Sage especially but that may be because she was older and more mature. Derek seemed an "old soul" which didn't really fit the mold of surfer dude.

This was a very quick, fun read. If you are a fast reader, you could probably enjoy it in an afternoon. I'd suggest a frozen drink with an umbrella to help set the scene (and you might need it to cool off after a few of the scenes!).

A great book for the beach or poolside. Although it definitely helped to chase away the winter chill!

One note - if you do not like explicit scenes, then you might want to pass on this one. It's not the basis of the book, but it is there.

All in all, I enjoyed it and would read more books by Lori Ann Mitchell. Waves of Love is Book 1 in the Holidays Beach Read. I'm not sure if that is a series but I'd check them out for a fast read.

This ebook can be purchased here on Amazon.com (affiliate link):

**Disclosure ~ I received this ebook for free in return for my honest review. All opinions herein are 100% mine.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

First, let me say, that while I enjoy Francine Rivers' books, she is not my "go-to" writer for Christian fiction. I know others think EVERYTHING she does is great but I'm not one of them. Don't get me wrong, she's good but not my favorite. I don't gravitate toward her books - they don't call to me. That said, I absolutely LOVED Redeeming Love. It was a wonderful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea and had some meat and depth. A good story stays with you for a long time which, I'm sure, is the hope of many writers.

Okay, back to the review of her current book.

Bridge to Haven tells the story of Abra Matthews, a tormented soul who spends much of her young life convinced she is not wanted. We read how Abra runs from everyone who loves her, most importantly God. We watch, sometimes painfully, as Abra travels a rocky road and we rejoice at the predicted conclusion.

Astute readers will know exactly how this books plays out before they read what happens. As I was reading through it - and it is a very quick read - I kept thinking it would make a great made-for-TV movie! And that was a major disappointment for me. Too much fluff and not enough meat. It was way too predictable.

There is some great character development with the manager, Franklin and with Abra herself. And a nice portrayal of life in 1950's Hollywood. Some big Hollywood names are tossed in - Lana Turner, Elvis Presley and Ronald Reagan. This gave the story some credibility and I enjoyed reading about the parties and the pitfalls of movie stardom back then.

So, would I recommend this book? Yes, if you've never read Francine Rivers before and are looking for a quick read. No, if you're a Francine Rivers fan and expect something along the lines of Redeeming Love or The Scarlet Thread. I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars.

**This review is my opinion only. I was not paid for nor asked to post this review. I did not receive any compensation for it nor did I receive a book in exchange for a review. I purchased the book myself.